2017 Actions Taken

SHRC Registration Actions Taken 2017

The nominations below were reviewed by the State Historical Resources Commission during the year 2017. Scroll down to view subsequent actions by quarter. New actions are added to the end of this page after each quarterly State Historical Resources Commission meeting. Agendas from past meetings are downloadable in PDF format below on the right sidebar.

February 3, 2017 SHRC Meeting

The following nominations were scheduled for the February 3, 2017 SHRC quarterly meeting at Justice Anthony M. Kennedy Library and Learning Center, Robert Matsui Federal Courthouse, 501 I Street, Sacramento CA 95814. Ten properties were nominated to the National Register of Historic Places.

Properties nominated to the National Register of Historic Places

Sutter Club , designed by Dean & Dean and Starks & Flanders, the Sutter Club building is perhaps Sacramento’s most important example of Spanish Eclectic Architecture. In addition, as Sacramento’s oldest social club, the Sutter Club is closely associated with the social, cultural, and business development of Sacramento.

Azteca Theater was constructed in 1948 in Fresno’s Chinatown. Under the management of Mexican-born impresario Arturo Tirado, the Art Deco style theater showed films made during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, and was also a venue for personal appearances by many of the leading actors of Mexican film. When in March 1966 César Chavez led striking farmworkers on their march from Delano to Sacramento, they stopped in Fresno, met with Mayor Floyd Hyde at City Hall, and held a rally in the Azteca that featured Chavez and the striking farmworkers.

Grand Central Air Terminal was designed by Los Angeles architect Henry L. Gogerty in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, with an Art Deco air traffic control tower and interior decorative features. The terminal building was put into service in 1929, while still under construction; construction was completed in 1930. It is a rare, intact example of an early aviation passenger terminal and serves as a physical record of events that helped shape the development of air travel and the aviation industry in Southern California.

Grether & Grether Building is a mercantile and industrial building in the center of Los Angeles' manufacturing district. The simplified Beaux-Arts style, six-story, reinforced concrete building, constructed in 1924, reflects the concurrent growth and development of manufacturing with wholesale distribution in Los Angeles during the first half of the twentieth century. Walter Grether, a principal of the building's namesake firm, was president and founder of the Wholesale Institute and helped establish Los Angeles as a major center of manufacturing in the United States in the 1930s and 1940s through the creation of Market Week, a buyers' convention showcasing Los Angeles-made products.

Halcyon Historic District comprised of 130 acres in rural San Luis Obispo County exemplifies a settlement pattern and town planning unique to socialist reformers in the United States from the late nineteenth into the early twentieth century. Halcyon remains much the same physically and in spirit as when it was founded in 1903 by an offshoot of the Theosophical Society in America, who moved to California from Syracuse, New York.. As a part of the large movement toward establishing utopian/intentional communities in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Halcyon is one of the few remaining such communities in California. The Temple of the People sanctuary, the Blue Star Memorial Temple, was designed by noted architect Theodore Eisen and constructed by Temple members in 1923 and 1924.

Melrose Baptist Church in the Fruitvale district of Oakland is a Spanish Revival style church and attached school. This building includes a 1930 church sanctuary, two-story hall and offices added in 1939, and a two-story school building added in 1949. Church architects Roger Blaine and David Olson’s travels through Spain influenced their choice of style, construction, and decorative materials.

Pan American National Bank of East Los Angeles is the oldest Latino-owned bank in California and emblematic of the economic growth of the Mexican American community in East Los Angeles after World War II. The building’s five-panel mosaic tile mural, entitled “Our Past, Our Present, and Our Future,” is one of the earliest examples of the art form in East Los Angeles and influenced the rise of the Chicano mural movement in the 1960s and 1970s. The bank is also representative of the career of co-founder Romana Acosta Bañuelos, a prominent Mexican American entrepreneur who later became the first Latina Treasurer of the United States.

Point Sur Light Station (Amendment) is an amendment to the existing Point Sur Light Station to include the site of the Poiint Sur Naval Facility (NAVFAC), a Cold-War era SOSUS (Sound Surveillance System) facility located southeast of the main light station. This facility was the site of experiments in long-range underwater sound transmission used to identify and monitor Soviet submarines during the Cold War. The amendment also expands the period of significance for the district, and adds two new historic contexts.

Portuguese Chapel of San Diego , or Imperio Capela, is a small wood-framed chapel inspired by similar chapels from the islands of Terciera and Pico, in the Azores. Intended for use in conjunction with the Portuguese Festa, the design also emulates a Portuguese tuna boat. The chapel represents a culturally significant architectural response to an important community festival.

Washington Firehouse is a 1940 Streamline Moderne firehouse located in the Washington neighborhood of West Sacramento. Designed by George Sellon, the building was funded by the Works Progress Administration.

May 10, 2017 SHRC Meeting

The nominations below were scheduled for the May 10, 2017 SHRC quarterly meeting at Pasadena City Hall, City Council Chamber, 100 North Garfield Avenue, Room S249, Pasadena CA 91109. Fourteen properties were nominated to the National Register of Historic Places and one property was listed in the California Register of Historical Resources.

Properties nominated to the National Register of Historic Places

Christian Science Society was built in 1929, located almost exactly in the geographic center of Avalon, Santa Catalina Island. The building was Catalina’s first example of the Spanish Colonial Revival style. The design was precedent setting for the island and served as a template for the cohesive feel that later defined Avalon during its golden age of the 1930s. The building’s successful completion—on time and on budget despite the trying conditions of both location and period—inspired confidence among island developers, and became a thematic touchstone for the entire community.

Edward Roybal House, a Craftsman bungalow, was the residence of Edward Roybal 1949 to 1963. One of the most influential Latino politicians in the United States, in 1949, Roybal was the first Mexican American elected to the Los Angeles City Council since 1881. He served on the council until his election to the U.S. Congress in 1962, making him the first Latino from California elected to the House of Representatives in the twentieth century.

Great Wall of Los Angeles is a half-mile long mural depicting the history of California through images of significant figures and historic events from diverse and traditionally marginalized communities. The mural is painted on the west wall of the Tujunga Flood Control Channel in the North Hollywood area of Los Angeles. The mural was completed between 1974 and 1984 by teams of young people and artist supervisors, under the artistic leadership of Chicana muralist Judith F. Baca, working with the Social and Public Art Resource Center.

Henry Geilfuss House was designed by architect Henry Geilfuss for his family in 1882. They lived there until 1900, a period of significance that also corresponds to the most productive time of his career as a prolific master architect of Victorian-era San Francisco. This rare surviving example of a detached residence in a cityscape dominated by row houses is also an excellent example of a bay-windowed Italianate.

Robert J. Dunn House is an exceptional example of a large Craftsman home designed by the regionally prominent master architecture firm Hudson and Munsell, the only known example of a Hudson and Munsell house in Redlands. Constructed in 1912, Craftsman architectural themes continue on the interior of the house, including extensive use of wood, built-in cabinets, and artistically designed fireplaces.

Malibu Historic District includes three surf breaks identified from east to west as First Point, Second Point, and Third Point, and the Malibu Pier. Malibu also incorporates coastal and nearshore areas that drain the 108 square mile Malibu Creek watershed and, because of the creek’s sediment outflows and a specific coastal geography/bathymetry, form one of Southern California’s highest-quality surfing areas. Described as the “world’s original perfect wave,” Malibu was a benchmark location for performance surfing through the mid-1960s.

Montecito Ranch House is Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival style adobe brick house constructed sometime between 1887 and 1897 during the settlement of Ramona. The house is associated with the early development and settlement of the Santa Maria Valley and Ramona as a rural agricultural rancher community.

Juan Maria Osuna Adobe is a circa 1831 Spanish Colonial home located within the boundary of the original Rancho San Dieguito land grant, now known as Rancho Santa Fe. The most notable alterations were completed by Rancho Santa Fe architect Lilian Rice in 1924-1925. In keeping with the aesthetic of Rice’s Spanish Colonial Revival architecture proclivities for the planned community of Rancho Santa Fe, the changes to the building continued to exemplify the early Spanish influences such as white adobe wall construction complemented by red-tiled roofs, porches, patios, and courtyards.

Valentine Cottage B. was originally constructed as a small cabin in 1912 by an unknown architect/builder. In 1922-1924 the cabin was remodeled and enlarged by famed architect Henry Greene. In addition to embodying the Arts and Crafts period of architecture and reflecting Greene’s work, the residence is also unusual in that it was discovered circa 2000 as one of his commissions.

Nystrom Elementary School, constructed by the US Maritime Commission in 1942-43, is eligible for the National Register for its association with providing educational services to the children of war industry workers in support of the World War II home front efforts in Richmond, California.

Albion River Bridge is a 969 foot long, 150 foot high combination steel and timber truss bridge with timber deck, constructed during World War II when strategic material shortages required innovative engineering design, using timbers to minimize use of steel in its construction. Crossing the Albion River Valley in the Mendocino County community of Albion, the Albion River Bridge is nominated under cover of the Historic Highway Bridges in California multiple property document.

Earl Crabbe Gym is a WPA Moderne high school gymnasium located in Auburn, Placer County, built in 1936-37 and designed by Sacramento architect W.E. Coffman of Sacramento. The gym's construction was funded by the federal Public Works Administration's Works Progress Administration program, whose built projects often used a simplified style derivative of Streamline Moderne and Classical Revival, sometimes called "Starved Classicism," for public buildings. The property is nominated under cover of the Historic and Architectural Resources of Auburn, California MPS.

Mayfair Hotel is a 1914 five-story, poured concrete and brick Neoclassical commercial/hotel building located in Pomona, California. Located on a prominent corner with close access to steam and electric railroads and major automobile boulevards, the Mayfair Hotel is significant for its role in commerce, as a prominent early example of commercial architecture by the design/build team of Meyer & Holler, and for its association with the Stoner v. California Supreme Court case.

Mohr and Yoerk Market was originally constructed in 1911 as a mixed-use building with a meat market on its ground floor and apartments upstairs. Originally located adjacent to Mohr and Yoerk's meatpacking plant, this building was designed by master architect E.C. Hemmings. The market closed in 1931, and was replaced by the Bon Marche department store in 1933.

Properties Nominated to the California Register of Historical Resources

Willow Glen Trestle is a wooden trestle built in 1922 by the Western Pacific Railroad to serve industries in San Jose without disrupting the existing residential neighborhood of Willow Glen. The trestle solved the problem of access to West San Jose industries and gave Western Pacific the ability to provide rail transportation to an industrial area of the important fruit growing and canning region previously served only by larger competitor Southern Pacific.

July 28, 2017 SHRC Meeting

The nominations below were reviewed by the State Historical Resources Commissin on July 28, 2017 at a meeting held at San Rafael City Hall, Council Chamber, 1400 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael, California. Eleven properties were reviewed by the Commission; one property, the Rowell-Chandler Building in Fresno, CA, was removed from the agenda at the meeting. The remaining eleven properties were recommended for listing or determination of eligibility in the National Register of Historic Places. See Meeting Minutes page for meeting recording.

Properties nominated to the National Register of Historic Places

Benicia Southern Pacific Passenger Depot is a two-story Stick style passenger depot, originally constructed in 1897 in Banta, California, and based on Southern Pacific standard depot plan No. 18. It was dismantled and relocated to Benicia in 1902, and served as Benicia's main passenger and freight station, and train-ferry staging center, until 1930. The station served as a residence for the station agent until 1958.

Brooklyn Presbyterian Church was built in 1887 in an area of East Oakland once known as the township of Brooklyn. The two-story redwood building in the Late Victorian Romanesque style sits on a slightly raised knoll amidst a mixed industrial and residential neighborhood. The knoll and height of its two towers allows the tips of the tower spires to be seen from miles away. The windows are among the largest stained glass windows in Oakland and the interior woodwork of the auditorium is crafted of redwood and black walnut.

Georgetown Civil War Armory served as the headquarters for the Georgetown Blues, a local defense force, 1862-1863. The building was then formally attached to the official Georgetown Union Guard, Company A, Second Infantry Battalion, Fourth Brigade who used the Armory through June 1868. The one and one-half story building with a rectangular plan was designed in a style popular during the mid-nineteenth century Gold Rush era, and constructed with local materials. The simple design encompasses elements of Greek Revival architectural details including a symmetrical façade, front gabled roof, gabled pediment with a wide band of decorative trim, and recessed entry way.

Hewes, David, House in Tustin was built in 1881, primarily in the Late Victorian Italianate style. The second floor was remodeled in 1919 allowing for additional bedrooms. The front porch wraps around to the north and south sides of the house. A second porch embellishes the west-facing side of the house. Tall glass windows decorate all sides of the first floor. The second floor incorporates square glass windows, and a widow’s walk remains from the original design. Hewes occupied the house until 1890, during which time he played a significant role in developing the community of Tustin, and its agriculture, industry, and transportation.

Marin City Public Housing encompasses 29 buildings on approximately 30 acres in southern Marin County. All the buildings were planned and arranged to provide privacy and views within an open landscaped green campus. The building style was strongly influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright, reflective of Design Architect Aaron Green’s architectural philosophy and practice. Green was trained by Wright as well as then serving as Wright’s West Coast Representative. The campus was constructed by the County of Marin, using federal funding, as the first phase of the redevelopment of Marin City from a temporary wartime labor town of quickly constructed wood frame buildings to a permanent solution providing housing for low- to mid-income residents who settled in the area.

The Maxfield Building is located in the Fashion District of downtown Los Angeles, and was associated with the development and financing of the Los Angeles garment industry. With twelve stories, plus a penthouse and basement, the reinforced concrete building is characterized by utilitarian Art Deco style with emphasis on verticality with slightly projecting vertical piers. It also exhibits other character defining features inspired by the Renaissance Revival style such as the corner towers and arched windows on the east façade.

Sacred Heart Parish Complex is comprised of a church, rectory, school and convent, all designed in the Romanesque Revival style and constructed between 1898 and 1936. The property is associated with the growth and development of the Western Addition and Catholic religious institutions in San Francisco, as the neighborhood transitioned from predominantly Irish to African American. The property is asociated with Father Eugene Boyle, pastor from 1968-1972, a prominent civil rights activist who served as the public face for Catholic involvement in the Black civil rights movement, protest of the Vietnam War, fights against urban renewal, fair housing advocacy, and the farm labor movement. The complex is also significant for its architeture, designed by Thomas J. Welsh.

Sierraville School is a 1931 Art Deco school building located in Sierraville, Sierra County. The school is constructed of reinforced concrete, built to replace an earlier circa 1875 school that burned down. The property is significant for its association with education in the Sierra Valley, and as a locally significant example of the work of Chester Cole, who designed over 30 schools in northern California.

Sperry Flour Company Vallejo Mills Historic District is an industrial district located on Vallejo's waterfront, including mill, warehouse, and grain elevator buildings constructed between 1917 and 1965. The properties are associated with master architect Maurice Couchot and the development of California's flour industry in the early 20th century.

Thomas Jefferson Elementary Building is a 1927 school designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, with 1931 library wing, located in Corona, California. The 1927 school was designed by W. Horace Austin, and the south wing was designed by G. Stanley Wilson, and the property is nominated as the work of both master architects, with Wilson's addition following and enhancing Austin's earlier design.

Wee Kirk, in the town of Ben Lomond in the San Lorenzo Valley, consists of two buildings, both constructed in 1891. The Colonial Revival style church is an approximately two story tall, single story, rectangular building with a steeply pitched gable roof, bell tower, and entrance portico. A cottage was moved to the lot in 1923 from the Ben Lomond Hotel nearby. The church building and cottage were initially connected by a short enclosed corridor that was subsequently fully integrated in 1953 through the removal of the north wall of the nave and the construction of a chancel to the north of the nave connecting to the cottage The church is flanked on its eastern side by a 60-foot memorial second growth California coastal redwood tree and small garden.

October 27, 2017 SHRC Meeting

The nominations below were scheduled for the October 27, 2017 SHRC quarterly meeting at the California State Resources Building Auditorium, 1416 9th Street, Sacramento CA 95814. Six properties were nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. One property was listed in the California Register of Historical Resources. One request to remove a property from the California Register of Historical Resources was denied.

Properties being nominated to the National Register of Historic Places.

Southside Park Historic District is a 15 acre city park originally completed in 1912, significant for its role as the gathering place for a multicultural community, as the location of a celebration following the end of the United Farm Workers' march from Delano to Sacramento, and association with the Royal Chicano Air Force, an artist group that held events at the park and painted a mural on the park's 1935 bandstand. The property is nominated under the cover of the Latinos in 20th Century California multiple property document.

Pomona Court and Apartments is a complex of Craftsman bungalow apartments and Spanish Colonial Revival multi-story apartment buildings, built in 1922 and 1923 by the Fullerton Improvement Company, founded by Edward K. Benchley, and designed by his son, Frank. K Benchley, and architect Herbert Coon.

Community Settlement House is a Spanish Colonial Revival style building associated with social services for the Latino community in Riverside since its construction in 1947. Operated by the Community Settlement Association, a prominent Riverside organization rooted in the American Settlement Movement, the Community Settlement House was identified by the local Latino community as an important historic resource. It is a rare extant example of a building associated with a prominent organization that supported Latino immigrants during the mid- to late twentieth century.

Peter Drucker House is a 1963 Ranch style house in Claremont designed by Clair Earl & Associates. It was the home and office of renowned management expert, advisor, author, and professor Peter Drucker, an internationally prominent figure in the business management field. Drucker, an influential advisor to some of America’s largest organizations, requested that his clients come to Claremont to meet with him instead of him going to them, making the house the epicenter of his work.

The Ellison is a Mediterranean Revival style five-story, H-shaped building, constructed in 1913 as a residential hotel. Built during a time of demographic shifts for Venice—an influx of new residents and lessening of a dependence on traditional housing situations—these types of buildings offered a novel alternative to the city’s new residents, and relates to the broader theme of commercial development in the city in the 1910s and 1920s.

Messina Orchard, located in San Jose, contributed to the vast fruit production that earned the Santa Clara Valley the name, “Valley of Heart’s Delight.”

Properties being nominated to the California Register of Historical Resources.

310 7th Street, located in San Francisco, was built in 1922 as a two-story commercial building, altered in 1927 to add a third story. The building is designed in the Renaissance Revival style by architect Mel I. Schwartz.

Properties requested for redetermination for the California Register of Historical Resources.

Willow Glen Trestle is a wooden trestle built in 1922 by the Western Pacific Railroad to serve industries in San Jose without disrupting the existing residential neighborhood of Willow Glen. The trestle solved the problem of access to West San Jose industries and gave Western Pacific the ability to provide rail transportation to an industrial area of the important fruit growing and canning region previously served only by larger competitor Southern Pacific.